A door on an automotive vehicle conventionally includes an outer metal structure that is hinged to a doorframe on the vehicle. Typically, one or more stylized trim panels are mounted on the inboard side of the vehicle door's structure so as to face the interior of the vehicle's passenger cabin. In general, such trim panels serve to give the vehicle door an aesthetically attractive appearance when viewed by onboard passengers. At the same time, such trim panels also serve to cover up various internal mechanisms that are situated in the door's structure. Such internal mechanisms may include, for example, door-locking mechanisms, door-window mechanisms, door-window controllers, sideview-mirror controllers, and various electrical devices. Furthermore, in addition to covering internal door mechanisms, trim panels may also serve as structural support for various external features such as, for example, integral armrests, beverage holders, ashtrays, or even door courtesy lights.
In recent years, integral storage pockets have become increasingly popular features in the trim panels of vehicle doors. Such storage pockets can be utilized by vehicle passengers as convenient places for the onboard storage of various items such as, for example, road maps, vehicle-related papers, sunglasses, and other small articles. As a result of such use, such storage pockets are frequently referred to as “map pockets.” In general, the opening of an integral map pocket is formed by a hole that is defined in a vehicle door's trim panel.
According to convention, a map pocket integral with a vehicle door's trim panel is most commonly formed in one of two particular ways. In the first way, a map pocket is created by initially forming a trim panel with a projected frontal region and opening defined therein and then fastening a separate panel to the back side (i.e., outboard side) of the trim panel. In this configuration, the resulting map pocket somewhat protrudes into a vehicle's passenger cabin. In contrast, in the second way, a map pocket is created by initially forming a substantially planar trim panel with an opening defined therethrough and then fastening the back side of the trim panel to the vehicle door's metal structure. In this configuration, the lower portion of the trim panel serves as a vertical front wall for the resulting map pocket's lower recesses. In this way, the map pocket is recessed within the vehicle door so that the pocket's inner hollow is generally located between the inboard trim panel and the outboard metal panel of the vehicle door. During assembly of a vehicle door, therefore, each of these two ways for creating an integral map pocket generally requires both a separate front portion and a separate back portion that, only when fastened and thereby fixed together, cooperatively form a map pocket in or on the vehicle door. As a consequence, each of these two conventional ways for creating a map pocket on a vehicle door undesirably requires multiple molding, alignment, and fastening steps during manufacturing.
In addition to integral map pockets on vehicle door trim panels, surfaces that are both aesthetically attractive and tactilely pleasing are becoming increasingly desirable on the inboard sides of vehicle doors as well. For example, including one or more sections of carpet on the inboard side of vehicle doors has become quite popular in recent years. In addition, applying layers of numerous soft fibers to the inboard surfaces of vehicle doors has also become popular. Unfortunately, however, including such sections of carpet or layers of fibers on the inboard sides of vehicle doors generally requires numerous additional assembly or manufacturing steps. In particular, in order to successfully include carpet on the inboard sides of vehicle doors, sections of carpet must first be precisely sized and cut before ultimately being installed and mounted in the doors. Furthermore, in order to include fibers on the inboard surfaces of vehicle doors, a labor-intensive manufacturing process commonly called “flocking” must generally be performed. During flocking, a special spraying technique is carried out that enables short cotton or synthetic fibers to adhere to the surfaces of a vehicle door's trim panel in dense piles of twisted fibers. To properly perform the spraying technique so that fibers adhere to door surfaces in a uniform and attractive manner, multiple separate masking, spraying, and sonic welding steps are often necessary, especially when attempting to cover uneven trim panel surfaces or the interior surfaces of map pockets.
In view of the above, there is a present need in the art for a map pocket assembly that is integrable with a trim panel on a vehicle door by means of a minimal number of manufacturing steps. Preferably, one or more sections of carpet, or layers of flocking fibers, can optionally be included on the assembly as well by means of a minimal number of additional manufacturing steps.